Discover (or build) an Instant Urban Trail

Hikers in cities around the world are creating their own cross-town trails through the art of curation. Here’s how to hike or build one. | Outside

 

Walking Boston’s strange 90-mile perimeter

By law, Massachusetts cities and towns are still required to walk their perimeters. So I decided to do it myself in Boston. | The Boston Globe

 

Pittsburgh—the city of steps

There are over 700 staircases nestled in the wooded hills of Pittsburgh, and many of them lead to incredible city overlooks. | National Geographic

 

How to create more swimming holes

As summers grow hotter and deadlier, Massachusetts is experiencing a shortage of public venues. We need to create more. | The Boston Globe

 

A field guide to public transit adventuring

In Greater Boston, you don’t need a car to experience the rustic beauty of the outdoors. Here, trains and buses can still take you places. | WBUR

 

Avoiding the food-conditoned bears

Bears in New Hampshire’s White Mountains have become conditioned to associate hikers with food. It’s time to hike elsewhere. | The Boston Globe

 

What’s new in New England in 2024?

Contrary to the perception that New England is encased in amber, there are constantly new sights, smells, and sounds to seek out. | AFAR

 

Enjoying a ski resort when you can’t ski

With the winters getting warmer and less reliably snowy, ski resorts are cooking up alternatives to hitting the slopes. | The Boston Globe

 

A long walk across Prince Edward Island

The new PEI Island Walk trail offers an incredible foot journey around Canada’s mythic island, with many treats along the way. | Dwell

 

America’s next National Park should be….?

The U.S. is due to create a new National Park soon. Here are seven outdoor destionations considered to be serious contenders. | National Geographic

 

Taking a thru-hike across the city

Photographer Dan Brown and I challenged ourselves to thru-hike across Boston’s parks and woods. | Mountain Gazette (issue 199, print only!)

 

A Bostonian’s guide to the White Mountains

For White Mountain first-timers and return visitors alike, I wrote a notch by notch guide to hiking and dining in the region. | Boston Magazine

 

Open the beaches to everyone…with buses

Massachusetts has one of the most restricted coast lines in America. Here’s how creative use of public transit could change that. | The Boston Globe

 

Taking the High Road

How a new path through the Berkshires brings the “walking holiday” to America, while expanding community access to trails | Lonely Planet

 

A notch-by-notch guide to the White Mountains

Get to know New Hampshire’s White Mountains, from the gustiest peaks to the craggiest valleys and hidden waterfalls. | Boston Magazine

 

Boston’s hidden world of urban trails

Discover nine beautiful urban hikes across Boston that show how you can go for a terrific hike in the middle of a major city. | Boston Magazine

 

New England Road Trip Deep Cuts

Following the release of my latest book, Moon New England Road Trip, I’ve been writing a series of recurring road trip itineraries. | Boston Magazine

 

Why I founded the Walking City Trail

A reflective essay about how and why I designed a 25-mile hiking trail across Boston’s parks and urban wilds. | WBUR

 

Set the underground rivers free

Why American cities are digging up and “daylighting” their subterranean waterways. | The Boston Globe

 

Walking Olmsted’s revolutionary crown jewel

How Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace shaped our conception of what shared green spaces can do for cities. | National Geographic

 

The strange beauty of Mud Season hiking

Mud Season is a messy rejuvenation of the natural world. It also poses some unique dangers to hikers. | National Geographic

 

A journey into California’s waterfall capital

The quiet Shasta-Cascade region of Northern California has a fiery volcanic history and an abundance of ethereal waterfalls. | National Geographic

 

Tragedies in the “deadliest” National Parks

The most common mechanisms of death in America’s National Parks are often subtler and more insidious than visitors expect. | Washington Post

 

Snowshoeing through the apocalypse

In the midst of the pandemic, hours before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, I went snowshoeing in far northern New Hampshire. | Washington Post

 

How will state parks survive 2020?

Natural disasters, budget austerity, and the COVID-19 pandemic are hurting America’s affordable and accessible state parks. | National Geographic

 

A grueling year for search-and-rescue crews

As hiking soared in popularity across America, mid-pandemic, several mountainous regions saw more accidents and deaths. | AMC Outdoors

 

Social distancing in the Great North Woods

Most travelers never venture to the northern edge of New Hampshire, which lends these highlands sublime quietude. | Boston Magazine

 

How to scout a safe bathroom, mid-pandemic

Camping or hosteling during the pandemic? Nature calling? The safest public restroom options might surprise you. | Washington Post

 

Closing parks is pandemic safety theater

Shutting down parks won’t slow the spread of COVID-19. But it will hurt the communities that have been most impacted by the virus. | WBUR

 

COVID-19 raises the stakes for rescue crews

As more hikers venture into the outdoors, search-and-rescue volunteers are bracing for new challenges and hazards. | Washington Post

 

“Stay low” with easier yet enchanting hikes

Save the riskier hikes for after the pandemic and enjoy the splendor of the White Mountains with these gentler, unsung hikes. | The Boston Globe

 

Is it ethical to go hiking during a pandemic?

As trails open back up for summer, should hikers hit the road for far-flung mountains or stick closer to their respective locales? | National Geographic

 

Hiking Etiquette 101: Pandemic Edition

The outdoors is a great place for exercising and exploring, mid-pandemic, but it’s important to be cool to fellow hikers. You’re in this together. | VICE

 

Chasing waterfalls during the spring thaw

Waterfalls are at their most thunderous during spring, as snowmelt causes New England’s rivers and reservoirs to overflow. | Boston Magazine

 

After Hurricane Dorian, a glimpse of Ecofascism

The Trump administration’s treatment of refugees is an example of how Ecofascism could afflict climate change policy in the future. | WBUR

 

The surprising solidarity of going hiking

Often thought of as a sport of rugged individualism, hiking is ultimately built on a kind of community that manifests outdoors. | WBUR

 

Elizabeth Warren’s populist public lands plan

The presidential contender’s plan to open up more public lands for public recreation and use would be a boon for outdoor equity. | NBC News

 

New Hampshire’s “secret” tallest waterfall

The biggest waterfall in the Granite State is a seasonal wonder that only appears a few times each year. So I went looking for it. | The Boston Globe

 

In the heat of the moment, you can get very sick

While visiting Baxter State Park in summer, I experienced clinical heat exhaustion and lived to tell the tale. It wasn’t pretty. | The Boston Globe

 

Exile to Lonesome Lake Hut

Quitting a newspaper job to become a backcountry lodge caretaker is the sort of thing that most people would consider insane. | The Boston Phoenix